This is my response due to Ginmar’s alleged reckless and false speech that may have libeled and defamed me mostly on Amazon.com but also on Goodreads, and I want Ginmar to stop. Another reason I’m writing this series of posts on-line is because I want everyone to know what is happening. I also plan to send a link to the local county district attorney.
Ginmar says: “It’s quite an accomplishment to boast of winning book contests that one pays to enter. It’s like bragging about charming a lady of the evening onto her back. (February 24, 2013 at 9:22:33 AM PST)
My response: There are only a few literary contests that do not charge a fee, and the competition is stiff. The more prestigious the award, the tougher the competition and the higher the odds are of placing.
Writers Views.com lists seventeen literary contests that do not charge a fee. When something is free, more people will enter and the odds of placing are that much higher.
The odds of placing are like buying a lottery ticket and most of the poets and authors that enter contests that are free or come with an entrance fee do not win or place.
Document Everything!
Poets & Writers Magazine lists many reputable contests that charge fees and for decades I have paid the fees and entered some of those contests often not placing.
In addition, the literary contests that I have placed in are not listed on Winning Writers list of Contests and Agencies to Avoid. Source: Winning Writers.com
In fact, I have entered Writer’s Digest Magazine’s contests several times and the fee is $100 each time. I have never placed but with that $100 fee comes a judge’s detailed commentary and score that authors may quote from for promotional purposes—that is if the judge says anything nice about the book. There is no guarantee.
What counts is not the fee but if the contest is juries. There is nothing wrong with a literary contest that charges a fee that goes toward the costs of running the contest and a cash prize for the grand prize winners.
Everyone does not have a foundation or grant to pay the costs or running a literary contest. Writer Beware says, “Is the contest free? If so, you probably have nothing to lose by entering–though be sure to read the fine print. If you’re a poet, be aware that a “free” contest is one of the major warning signs of a vanity anthology scheme.
“Is there an entry fee? Contrary to popular belief, an entry fee does not indicate a questionable contest. Many legitimate contests charge a fee to cover processing expenses (which sometimes include an honorarium to readers) and to fund the prize.” Source: Writer Beware ® Blogs!
Why do poets and authors enter contests? Answer: to establish the fact that what he or she writes may be worth reading.
When poets and authors place in a reputable, unbiased literary contest, why do they publicist it? Answer: Because if they don’t, who will? Published authors and poets are responsible to promote his or her work.
Continued on April 1, 2013 in Ginmar: alleged Cyber Bully, Troll and Stalker? Part 2
To discover more on this issue visit:
The Internet is not a Safe Haven for being Anonymous and Behaving Badly
Taking it Global: Online Freedom of Speech versus the 6th Amendment
Is this an example of Defamation?—not protected by the 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
Who’s behaving badly? A culture of arrogance
Found Guilty because of Reckless and False Speech – based on true events
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Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of The Concubine Saga.
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